Forever House #32

Saturday 12th October 2013

Time line for first 16 of 50 weeks left to complete house

I spent some time last night on a time line for the remaining work on the Forever House. I got as far as the end of January 2014 - sixteen weeks from now. I'll see how realistic my estimations are and fill in the remaining weeks as I go. While it's summer and daylight saving, as I have said, I am going to work on my glass projects at night after work as well as on the weekends I am not at the farm. The time line certainly indicates this is necessary to get me to my goal - a finished Forever House @ October long weekend 2014.

Pile of dirt thanks to Stan (and block wall )

After a sweet sleep, and breakfast this morning, I headed down to the house and commenced shovelling dirt. Stan provided me with the gift of a pile of dirt when he brought his digger over last weekend and dug the pad for the water tank. I decided to use it even though I didn't really have a means of sifting it as it went into the barrow. I tossed many larger stones out but left plenty smaller ones in and don't think the mud was any worse for them. As I shovelled my first barrowload Currawinya Dave surprised me by pulling up ready for a day's metal work.

Building block wall Easter 2009 (Spencer cross-eyed...)

Dave's building a framework above the cement block wall that Jeff, my kids Spence and Danika, and I built Easter 2009. Jeff had the pile of blocks when I met him, and they are saving a hell of a lot of mudding as the wall that surrounds the loungeroom incorporating the front door. There weren't enough blocks to take the wall all the way to the 3metre ceiling - and so Dave is filling that gap with a framework. I won't try to describe what will happen inside and outside the framework to bring the house to lock up - this will unfold as we get to it.

 

 

   

Dave with his summer hair cut doing metal

It was great having Dave around for the day being productive on my behalf. I told him about my Triton getting a flat tyre and asked to borrow his jack on account of my jack not working; so being the gentleman he is, his first job, was to change it for me. As we were doing that, around 9.30am, a cloud of flying ants rose in waves from the ground. Dave identified them as termites. That made me very glad that my house is not built of wood.

Termite nest from where the flying ants rose in waves

Dave loaned me a webbed strap that he found on the side of the highway somewhere having fallen from a semi trailer. He uses these straps to pull lantana out, tied to the tow-bar of his car. I figure if each time I am here, I pull out a few bushes, then in a year's time I'll have made a significant dent in those on my share.


I'm at the caravan table writing by twilight, having worked till 5.30pm and rewarded myself with a lovely swim wash sit down at the river. Tea was cold lemon and garlic chicken kebabs, lettuce tomato and cucumber in wraps. And now I sit in my still damp cozzie to stay cool, with a cup of tea and pen in hand after a momentous day.



My day's goal of mixing and laying one row of mud around the external wall of the mudroom and bathroom was met - taking nine loads of mud. And the VERY EXCITING NEWS is that I have mudded UP TO THE CEILING around more than half the bathroom. Another row tomorrow will mean the external wall of the bathroom and most of the mud room will be up to the ceiling. Nine years of mudding - starting at this very corner of the house and finally!!! a ceiling installed and mud right up to it.WHOOT WHOOT!
So 7.20pm - I'm weary. Might read till sleep and wake early and do it all again tomorrow before home time. I'm certainly testing this almost fifty-five year old bod (happy birthday to me on the 22nd Oct). I was  saying to Dave today how amazing it will be to come out and enjoy Currawinya and the house when it's finished - and then I wondered if I'll miss the work...

The following photos show that with six load of mud, I did get the second row laid on Sunday. Being a skillion roof, and the rows of mud being reasonably level, it will take another tiny row next time, over the mud room door, to complete this stage.
Post Script - Dave rang me at home on Tuesday night to tell me he spent another day at the house and completed enough of the framework to install the first set of French doors! I am so excited and can't wait to see them. He said he will spend another day or two continuing this work, installing another small window and another set of French doors hopefully before he heads south to work on the wheat harvest in South Australia for a couple of months. All very very good.

Bathroom wall at end of Verandah

Outside Bathroom western side of house

one wall where the shower will be in bathroom

adjoining wall where shower will be

Laundry end of bathroom - verandah thru window to right